Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 648, Joseph Freeman, New Jersey

SERVICE
NUMBER
New Jersey
Freeman, Joseph
S. 648.
CONTENTS
Carded.

New Jersey  Joseph Freeman
of Middlesex in the State of N. Jersey — who was a Private in the Corps commanded by Captain Coonradt — of the Regt. commanded by Col. _____ in the N. Jersey Militia time for 23 months
Reduced to $40 pr. Ann. New Cert. iss d Mar 7. 1837 and sent to Hon. H. S. Schenck.
Inscribed on the Roll of N. Jersey — at the rate of 76 Dollars 66 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 14 day of June 1833 — and sent to Col. New Brunswick.
Arrears to the 4th of Mar. '33 $153 32 Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 Sep. '33 38 33
$191 66
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by G. C. Miles Clerk, Book E Vol. 3 Page 191

Letter to J. T. Kauder Agent concerning further payment 24 July 1834 Let to P. N. G. Mar. 9. 1837.

Joseph a Newman's papers
Admitted Private 28 monthly

Personally appeared before me, the undersigned a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Middlesex, New Jersey, Joseph Freeman, who being duly sworn deponeth & saith, that, by reason of old age & the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but, according to the best of his recollection, he served not less than the periods mentioned below, as a private: In 1776 I volunteered and served four successive months under Ser-geant Smith, in the capacity of Sergeant's Guard, night-watch. Immediately thereafter I volunteered and served again in the same capacity three months under Capt. Conway. In June 1777 the Guard was again put in requisition, and I again volunteered, & volunteered, & remained on duty, alternately under Capt. Fraser, Lieut. L. F. Huns-derph, Capt. Asher Hains & Col. Rout, & Maj. Brock, the latter a Virginian, the rest Jersey men, (except Rout) for a whole year or more . During all this time I was employed in Woodbridge-New Jersey neighborhood, watching the op-erations of the enemy, who was then on Staten Island. In 1779 I was out again in the same service, & remained out until the April following, under Capt. Matthew Freeman - making, in all, of regular & hard service, at least Twenty three months . Besides these tours, I was frequently on duty for days & weeks at a time, as the enemy was constantly in the vicinity, making predatory & other incursions, & calling for the unceasing vigilance & activity of the whole disposable force of the adjoining country. My whole service, including the irregular and occasional calls, was not certainly less than two years and a half . I was at the Short Hills, out in no other in more regular battle, since from the nature of service & the amount of force embodied, we were not in a condition for one; but the duty was always ardu-ous, & frequently very perilous. I claim, I feel that I have a fair title to a pension.
Sworn & Subscribed to before me The 29 th May A. D. 1833 H. Ford Justice of the Peace
Joseph Freeman

Nicholas Booracum Clerk of the Court of Com- mon Pleas in and for the County of Middlesex do hereby certify that the within contains the Supplemental proceedings in the matter of the application of Joseph Freeman for a Pension and that Josiah Ford before whom the within deposition was taken was at the time of taking the same a Justice of the peace in and for the County duly commissioned and sworn, and that I am acquainted with the hand writing of the said Jus- tice and know the signature attesting the witness who has been to be his in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court this twenty ninth day of May A.D. Eighteen hundred and thirty three
N Booracum Clerk

State of New Jersey Middlesex county ss:
On this Thirtieth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two Personally appeared before the Judges of the Superior court of common Pleas in & for the county of Middlesex in the State of New Jersey in open court being a court of record and now sitting Joseph Freeman a resident in and the city of New Brunswick county of Middlesex aforesaid, who being duly sworn according to law & examined interrogated by the court according to the instructions from the war department doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of congress passed June 7 th 1832 - viz -
That he was born in the month of March in the year 1762 on the 27 th day of said month, in the Township of Woodbridge county of Middlesex aforesaid & will be seventy years of age if he lives till the 27 th day of March next. There is a record of his age kept by his father in the family bible which is now in possession of his son Solomon Freeman who resides also in New Brunswick - Previous to the war of the revolution & when he first entered in the service of the United States he lived in Woodbridge, since the war he also resided there for some time, when he moved he moved to Amboy where he lived a little better than a year, and returned again to Woodbridge - He said

did one year in the county of Sussex in New Jersey & a little more when he a- gain returned to Woodbridge where he continued to reside till about 10 years ago when he removed to the city of New Brunswick where he has lived ever since & still resides -
He entered the service of the United States as a volunteer and private in the latter part of the year 1776 in a company of militia commanded by Captain John Bonney of Woodbridge & served under him at Woodbridge during the following events but not regularly - There were a captain guards & a lieutenant's guard at three different places in that neighbourhood on one of which this declarant served - During that winter he was frequently out on scouting parties along the eastern shore of New Jersey, & were often called out on alarms for occasioned by the ene- my who had possession of Staten Island During the whole of the war he continued to serve in the Township of Woodbridge in such companies as were from time to time stationed there, & was engaged in the service at irregular intervals, under such officers as at different times had command of that station - He was very young at the time & at this distant day cannot dis- tinctly recollect the names of all the cap- tains & other officers under whom he served nor can he give any detailed account of his services in consequence of the ir- regularity with which which under the circumstances they were rendered - When the British and having possession of Stat

ten Island makes frequent excursion into New Jersey as he recollects a party of British soldiers passing from Staten Island through the Township of Woodbridge to the Short Hills in the North western part of said Township where there was an engagement with the American forces. He cannot tell how long he served in the whole but he knows that he served in the two years & a half during the war and in the manner stated above.
He has no written discharge from the service nor any documentary evidence of his service but is personally well known to Aaron Bloomfield a soldier of the revolution who can testify to his service in part as stated above. And is also well known to the Reverend David and  Joseph Jones and James G. Randolph both of whom reside in his neighborhood and can testify to his character for veracity & to their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution.
And he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.
Sworn & subscribed in open court the 22nd day of June 1842 Thos Hance, Judge.
I Aaron Bloomfield a resident in the Township of Piscataway in the county of Middlesex do hereby certify that I am well acquainted with Joseph Freeman the foregoing applicant that I believe him to be of the age of

sixty nine years or thereabouts, that he served as a soldier of the revolution, that upon various occasions I served with him - And I further certify that the said Joseph Freeman is a man of veracity & that his statement is entitled to full credit -
Sworn & subscribed in open court this day 2 years aforesaid
his Aaron X Bloomfield mark
H. Ford. I do also certify the above to be a credible witness.
H. Ford.
Joseph H. Jones May 29. 1833.
We Rev. B. Hovey a clergyman residing in the city of New Brunswick and James F. Randolph residing also in said city do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Joseph Freeman who has subscribed hereto & sworn to the above declaration That we believe him to be of the age of sixty nine years of age or thereabouts, that he is respected & believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion -
Sworn to & subscribed in open court this day & year aforesaid
Joseph H. Jones James F. Randolph
Thos Hance, Judge
And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories presented by the war department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier as served as he states, And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Joseph H. Jones  Rev. B. Hovey is a clergyman residing in the city of New Brunswick & that James F. Randolph who has also signed said certificate is also a resident

The city of New Brunswick is a undivided person and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Thos Parise } Judges H. Ford
I Nicholas Boorman clerk of the court of Common Pleas in & for the county of Middlesex do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Joseph Freeman for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the seal of said court this twelfth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred thirty two.
N. Boorman Clerk

1 I, Additional affidavit of Joseph Freeman the forgoing petitions Personally appeared before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in & for the county of Middlesex Joseph Freeman who being again duly sworn on his oath saith that the last service of four months mentioned in his forgoing affidavit commenced in the month of December 1779 and con- tinued till the month of April following to wit 1780.
Sworn & subscribed before me this 11 th day of June 1833 J. Ford
Jos h Freeman
I Nicholas Boorman clerk of the Superior court of common Pleas in & for the county of Middlesex State of New Jersey do hereby certify that the forgoing contains the origi- nal supplementary & explanatory proceed- ings had in the matter of Joseph Freeman on application for a pension & that the dat- ter were had before Josiah Ford who is a Justice of the Peace in & for said county of Middlesex in the State of New Jersey duly commissioned & that the signature Josiah Ford is in the proper hand writing of the said Josiah Ford. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the seal of said court at this 11 th day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty three.
N Boorman Clerk

New Year
INVALID.
File No.
648
Joseph Freeman No. N. J. Mills
Act:
June 7, 1832.
Index:—Vol.
2
, Page 31
[Arrangement of 1870.]
✓

See letter in Dec 1837 to Hon. J. S. Schenk
Joseph Freeman, B. J.
See letter to Hon. P. Fulmer- huyser. Jan. 29. 1835.
Let to J. F. Randolph 24. 1835.
do to Hon. J. S. Schenk
Jan 29 - 30 do. 1835.
S. L. Southard Jan. 14. 1837.
J. T. Schenck Feb 18. 37.

July 31
N.Y.
1868
J. A. Edwards Esq
Com. Rooms, Washington.
N.Y.
Wash. D.C.
Mr. Sumner

New Brunswick, July 28. 1884.
Sir, I have received from the Department a notification of the suspension of the payment of the Pension to Joseph Freeman , which, I think, cannot have your sanction , although it bears your signature . If, however, I am mistaken in this; if the claim of Mr Freeman is deemed to have been inadvertently , & therefore, improperly , admitted, you will please, as an act of simple justice to Mr Freeman, state to me fully the reasons for this opinion, & the principles upon which his claim is excluded. The terms of the notice moved seem to imply that Mr Freeman's services are not embraced in the provisions of the law. This cannot be. Some great misapprehension must prevail on the subject, which it is important to the ends of justice should be speedily corrected, & which, I am sure, it is the desire of the Department should not exist.
Very respectfully, Your most Obedt. Servt.
J. P. Randolph.
J. L. Edwards, Esq. } Com. Pensions. }

Dr Freeman Aged Apr 9
Mr. ...
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New Brunswick, Sept. 5. 1834.
Sir, I transmit an additional statement, & some further testimony, in the case of Joseph Freeman , rendered necessary by the suspension of his Pension. I hope you will do Mr. Freeman the justice to examine these papers yourself. They cannot fail, I think, to remove the erroneous impression under which the suspension was ordered. I am perfectly satisfied, from a thorough examination of the case, that there is nothing to distinguish it from the case of every other militia man engaged in guarding the lines , except that he did more service than fell to the duty of those not residing in Woodbridge, or its immediate vicinity.
Most Respectfully,
Your most ob st Serv t .
J. F. Randolph.
J. L. Edwards, Esq. Colonel Pensioner.

Enquire whether the name of Thomas Wallsperry is on the roll of the Continental army
Payments to be made at Trenton N. J. by Pres: U.S. Br. Wg Co. Agent for paying Pension- ers! in the Agency of
Issue certificate for 1 Year's Service - see let to Hon. Mr. Southard New Jersey Jan 14 1837
Dup at $40 pr. Ann if 5 th instead of this.
Enquire concerning Claims of Col Taylor whether on file in Official papers of Nelson
9767
Recorded in the Pension Of- fice in Book E Vol. 3 Page 111 by G. E. Weeks Clerk.
5995
F. S. Schenck
Thomas Wallsperry 1st Regt New Jersey Voluntary

WAR DEPARTMENT
Revolutionary Claims
I certify that, in conformity with the law of the United States of the 7th June, 1832, Joseph Freeman of the State of New Jersey who was a Private in the Revolutionary Army
is entitled to receive Seventy Six dollars and Sixty Six cents per annum, during his natural life, commencing on the 4th of March, 1831, and payable semi-annually on the 4th of March, and 4th November, in every year.
GIVEN at the War Office of the United States, this 27 day of June one thousand eight hundred and thirty- Three
John B. C. Moore Secretary of War.
Examined and Countersigned. }
Isaac T. Perkins Commissioner of Pensions.

Joseph Freeman born March '63.
decl. 1 st called part of 75- in Woodbridge but not regularly " 2 nd 4 months in 75- - Supt's guard night watch. " 3 rd knows he served 2 1/2 years on the whole. " 4 th seen after 1 st term in same capacity 3 mo. - making time from Oct 76 to June 77 - when the guard was again put in requisition & continued in service under Capt. Frazee & served 11 mo. - In 79. was out again in same service until aft following under Capt. Freeman - making 23 mo service.

16 Feb
resp
Joseph Freeman
Lucas
Issue Cert for $40 - from: Head to Hon J. S. Schenck, Six Mile Run, N.J.
Hon. J. S. Schenck H R

I have been requested to enquire why the Pension of Joseph Freeman of New Brunswick N. Jersey has been suspended by giving the desired information you will oblige
your humble Servt. Ferdinand V. Schenck
H. B.

State of New Jersey
Middlesex County ss. On this first day of Sep- tember 1831, before me a Justice of the Peace in & for the County afo. personally appeared Inept Freeman , of said County, who being duly sworn, on his oath saith, that he was greatly sur- prised to learn a short time since that his pen- sion had been suspended on the ground that the services upon which his claim rests were not such as the act of March of June 7, 1832, provides for - that they were, in fact, altogether irregu- lar, a mere voluntary defence of his own friends, called for by extraordinary & peculiar circumstances, and confined to occasional occasions. He is entirely at a loss to know how such an impression could have been made. He is not conscious of saying any thing to authorise the belief that he served only as "a night watch in a sergeant's guard." Certainly it is, that such is not the fact. He did indeed serve as a night watch; and a most arduous service it was too; but he also served in the day as well as night, and both kinds of service were in obedience to the laws of the State. He was, during such service, performing his regular turns, under his regular officers, and in all respects subject to the same laws and rules, dis- cipline & regulations that  as all the other militia of the state were. Woodbridge, as is well known to the Department, was one of the stations at which a large body of militia was placed from the time the enemy took possession of Staten Island in 1776, until the final evacuation of New York, (or very near that time) in '83. The inhabitants of Woodbridge

were not only called upon, as were the other militia to do their monthly tours, but living right in the face of the enemy, within shot of their guns, and en- closed continually to his predatory inroads, they were out almost the whole time, night & day. So far from being cut off, in terms or in spirit, from the benefits of the act of Congress of June 7, 1832, the sorrowing soldiers of that devoted place, always appeared to him to have the strongest possible claims under that law. He will not, however, enlarge. He knows that his services for which he has hitherto received an allowance were rendered in obedience to the laws of the state - authority recognized as com- petent, heretofore - that they were under officers in the commission of the state, and that the full terms for which he was bound were in all cases fulfilled. He adduces testimony to this effect, which is subjoined, which he hopes may be considered as satisfactory.
Joseph Freeman
Subscribed known to me this day
By me a Notary Public, before me
Peter P. Rumsey
Justice of the Peace

State of New Jersey Midsex County, ss. On this 29 th day of August eighteen hundred & thirty four, before me a Justice of the Peace in and for the County a- foresaid, personally appeared Garret Magee, known to me to be a credible person, whose statement is implicitly to be relied upon, who being duly sworn, on his oath, saith that he is a soldier of the Revolution & has in the re- ceipt of a Pension for his services as such, that he is well acquainted with Joseph Free- man, formerly of Woodbridge, Midsex County & State of New Brunswick, has known him from boyhood - know him as a soldier in the Rev- olution - was frequently in the Woodbridge State defending the lines, of Patriots, as it was called, and repeatedly served with said Freeman in that service. Knows that said Freeman was in the performance of the regular monthly hours de- manded of the militia by the laws of the State, and very often, in addition to that service, was called out on alarms, the eve- ning making frequent incursions from the op- posite shore of Staten Island. The inhabitants of Woodbridge were peculiarly exposed to danger, & did a very large share of duty. They were not at all exempt from the general calls, which were frequent upon the militia, and were besides obliged to be out very often to prevent their farms Offiziers from plunder & desolation. Depo- nent knows that said Freeman was in the regular militia service, doing his duty faith- fully with the rest, and regards him as

presenting an unquestionable claim to the benefit of the act of 6 April of June 7 1822. Subscribed known to me before me the day & year aforesaid Peter P. Purdy Justice of the Peace
Joseph Levin
Middlesex County New Jersey ss On this 30th day of August 1824 before me a Justice of the Peace in and for said County, personally appeared Henry Sutton, known to me as a credible person whose testimony is to be relied upon, who being duly sworn, on his oath saith that he is a soldier of the Revolution, & now in the receipt of a pension as such. That he is well acquainted with Joseph Freeman formerly of Woodbridge, Mid. Co. N.J. In all the city of New Brunswick. He has known him from boyhood; lived within a few miles of him during the war of the Revolution, knows of his services in said war, served with him in Woodbridge in the service called monthly tours, required by the laws of the state, under the command of a regularly commissioned militia officer, whom said Freeman was often out on such tours, and that during Woodbridge in the constant presence of the enemy, he was very often called out as alarms, in addition to his regular services. Knows that said Free-

man was a good soldier, and consider him as fairly entitled to a pension as any soldier in New Jersey. Yours sincerely the day after year after before me
Henry Sutton
Peter P. Runyon Justice of the Peace
State of New Jersey, Middlesex County. I Nicholas Bosraun Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County aforesaid, do hereby certify, that Peter P. Runyon, before whom the foregoing affidavits were taken, is a Justice of the Peace, duly commissioned therefor, and that the signature of said Justice is in his own proper hand writing.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at the seat of said Court, this fifth day of September, eighteen hundred and thirty four.
N. Bosraun Clerk

BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD*
NAME Freeman, Juba (Jube) GRADE Private LINE Connecticut
WARRANT NUMBER 5785 ACREAGE 100 ISSUED Mar. 30, 1790 to — not shown —
*The information concerning the issuance of warrants carded on this form is found in volumes 2 to 4 of "Land Warrants Issued Prior to 1800" which are registers of bounty land warrants issued to non-commissioned officers and privates under congressional resolutions of September 16, 1776, and subsequent dates. Other records relative to the applications for warrants appear to have been destroyed in the War Department fire of November 9, 1800. Information concerning warrants surrendered to the Federal Government is to be found in General Land Office records in The National Archives.